Last updated: 2026 · Applies to power, control and communication cables permanently installed in EU buildings

If you supply or specify cables for the European market, "CPR" is no longer optional. Since 1 July 2017, any cable permanently installed in an EU building must carry a CE marking and a Declaration of Performance (DoP) under the Construction Products Regulation. As of 8 January 2026, the framework is governed by Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, which replaces the long-standing Regulation (EU) 305/2011, with EN 50575:2014+A1:2016 as the harmonised standard for cables.

Why this matters for buyers: A cable without a declared Euroclass and valid DoP cannot be lawfully installed in an EU building — and will be rejected at inspection, by insurers, and by specifiers.

1. What the CPR Actually Regulates

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) sets uniform rules for how construction products — including cables — are marketed in the EU. Of its seven basic requirements, cables are almost entirely governed by fire safety / reaction to fire. The CPR does not assess electrical performance (that falls under separate LOW VOLTAGE / EMC rules); it assesses how a cable behaves in a fire: does it spread flame, release heat, produce smoke, drop burning particles, or emit acidic gases?

2. The Harmonised Standard: EN 50575

EN 50575 is the specific harmonised standard for power, control and communication cables in fixed installations. It classifies cables by their reaction to fire using EN 13501-6, and assigns an Euroclass. Compliance is verified through an Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP) system:

  • System 1+ (B2ca / Cca): notified-body certification, factory audit + annual product re-testing.
  • System 3 (Dca / Eca): initial type testing by a notified body; no routine factory audit.

3. Euroclasses Explained (Aca → Fca)

Cables are ranked from highest fire safety to lowest viable. Fca is banned for permanent use (since 2017); most practical cables fall between B2ca and Eca.

EuroclassFire contributionTypical use
AcaNegligible (e.g. ceramic/mineral)Specialised, rarely cable
B2caVery low (<30 MJ/m² heat release)Hospitals, data centers, critical escape routes
CcaLow (<30 MJ/m²)High-occupancy commercial, server rooms
DcaMedium (<70 MJ/m²)Standard offices, general buildings
EcaBasic (single-flame, EN 60332-1-2)Low-risk residential / small facilities
FcaNo declared performanceBanned for permanent installation

Suffixes: smoke, droplets, acidity

Higher classes add three secondary parameters, written after the class, e.g. B2ca-s1,d0,a1:

  • s1 / s2 / s3 — smoke production (s1 = lowest smoke, e.g. s1a ≥80% light transmission)
  • d0 / d1 / d2 — flaming droplets (d0 = none for 20 min)
  • a1 / a2 / a3 — acidity (a1 = lowest, aligns with LSZH)
Common mistake: There is no such thing as a "CPR certificate." Under CPR there is a Declaration of Performance + CE marking + (for B2ca/Cca) a notified-body certificate. A supplier advertising a "CPR certificate" is signalling they have not read the regulation. Red flags: a class declared for a different construction; a test report offered instead of a DoP; "CE marked" with no declared class; or Cca/B2ca with no notified-body number.

4. Which Class for Which Building?

CPR sets the framework; member states set the minimum class by building type. Typical patterns:

  • Hospitals / data centers / high-rises: B2ca (often B2ca-s1,d0,a1)
  • Commercial / offices: Cca
  • General offices: Dca
  • Low-risk residential: Eca

Examples: France (NF C 15-100) requires B2ca for hospitals; Germany (VDE 0100) permits Eca in homes. Always check the national rule for the project country.

5. United Kingdom Note (UKCA)

Post-Brexit, Great Britain uses UKCA marking rather than CE, under essentially the same EN 50575 fire classes. From post-June 2025, UKCA is mandated for all; high-rise buildings are tightening toward Cca. For telecom cabling inside the external fire barrier, BS 6701 recommends Cca-s1b,d2,a2. Note: outdoor/outside-plant cables (duct, direct-buried, aerial) are not permanently installed in a building and fall outside CPR scope — no Euroclass, DoP or CE under EN 50575 is required for them.

6. How Manufacturers Achieve Compliance

  1. Initial type testing to EN 50575 (EN 50399 bundle test for B2ca–Cca; EN 60332-1-2 for Dca–Eca).
  2. Establish Factory Production Control (FPC).
  3. Engage a notified body (System 1+ for B2ca/Cca; System 3 for Dca/Eca).
  4. Issue the Declaration of Performance and apply CE / UKCA marking with the Euroclass.

FAQ — EU CPR Cable Certification

Q: What is a cable's "CPR rating"?

It means the reaction-to-fire Euroclass declared under EN 50575 and classified to EN 13501-6 — e.g. Cca, B2ca-s1,d0,a1. Strictly, there is no "CPR certification"; there is a DoP + CE marking.

Q: Does LSZH automatically mean CPR compliant?

No. LSZH describes the jacket chemistry (low smoke, zero halogen). CPR tests actual fire performance to assign a Euroclass. An LSZH cable must still pass CPR testing to be installed in the EU.

Q: Which Euroclass for a data center?

Typically B2ca-s1,d0,a1 for in-building/riser cabling, due to high cable-tray fuel load and life-safety requirements.

Q: Is Fca allowed?

No. Fca (no declared performance) has been banned for permanent EU building installations since 2017.

Q: Do outdoor fiber cables need a CPR rating?

Not if they stay outdoors (duct, buried, aerial). CPR is triggered only by permanent installation inside a building.

Related: see our TÜV PV cable guide, African market cert guide, and Brazil ABNT NBR 16612 guide. Browse all certified cable manufacturers.